Friday, March 14, 2008

Doing More With Less

In a warning sign that Chicago's budget may be off the mark just three months in, Mayor Richard Daley announced $20 million in spending cuts Thursday, citing a "soft" economy.

The reductions put the city "at the point" where citizens may begin to feel an impact on services, Daley said, but added he did not yet know which services might be affected.

The mayor said he expects the national economic downturn will mean diminishing tax and fee revenues in Chicago. And city officials acknowledged they're watching to see if sales tax collections will take a hit because of a new 10.25 percent rate that threatens to push some buyers to stores outside Cook County when in full effect July 1.

So $289 million is raised taxes has led to....

$20 million in additional spending cuts;

fear of shoppers leaving the City and County to shop for lower priced goods, which of course will result in even LOWER tax revenues;

a hiring freeze and overtime cuts, meaning even LESS spendable income for City workers forced to live in the highest taxed municipality in the nation

That closed loop system is really paying dividends for the Daley administration, isn't it?

You can't totally blame Daley for this. The amount of snow removal this winter, and the associated costs with all that, wear & tear on the trucks, OT, salt, potholes, pothole repairs etc. has taken a toll as well. This warm weather can't come along quick enough. But even then, we've had two homicides tonight, and it's not even midnite yet....

screw this city I'm shopping online or in Indiana. Just went to buy a case of bottled water and some beer 14 cents for county and .66 cents taxes for liqour. A whopping $1.40 tax for water. Keep voting for democRATS

the cta is broke, the county is broke, the city is broke, recession looming on the horizon, 4 dollar a gallon gas coming soon to you. and the governments answer is to raise taxes to cover the shortfall. instead of being fiscally responsible, just put it on the tax payers. slowly but surely the middle class is starting to crack. will we see our first black or female president in november.

Make sure you come to the Olympics one and all. Just bring your own security because the cops here can't take care of what's on our plate already, we sure can't babysit you. By the way, all the criminals know we don't really give a rats ass what they do.

keep spending money on those cameras..hey ive accepted the fact they are coming and it blows we dont have them yet and i will stop working when we get them but lets allocate the funds correctly and get some bodies in the academy to fill the vaccancies brought about by retirement...and fuck off j-fed you hack tool job asshat

Honestly...where is all our money going??? If we're forced to live in this shitty city/county at least could they make it affordable with ALL the money we're giving them!!!! Get rid of Stroger please!!!!!!!!

Hey, is it just me, or did anybody else get a creepy feeling reading the PAX 501 of March 13th? Core Values? Courage is now defined as obeying the Ten Commandments? WTFOverall it read like a script for chanting in the parking lot, prior to getting in the squad and logging in the PDT. Will Core Value or the POLICE "shareholder" lingo replace the CAPS emblem or Chicago flag on the side? Kind of odd stuff. During the tour, I showed the PAX 501 to a couple of citizens who were in the Quiznos over by UIC[appearing to have IQs well over the 3 digit mark]. They read it over before asking me what this was about, if I think he really authored it and handed it back with a comment about "typical FBI smoke and mirrors".Asking a couple of trusted supervisors to explain the somewhat cryptic content, yielded only quick chuckles and changes of subject. Anybody?

We are also being told we are down on movers and need to write more.We're not down.little dick is just telling J-FED to have us generate more revenue so little dicks friends can increase their wealth.WTF J-FED!!!!!

Just wait...this is the precursor to another raise in fees or taxes and always convenient during contract negotiations. Daley the PIMP! Where is all money from the bottled water tax.....1.75 in taxes per 35 bottle case at costco. Tax and spend...tax and spend....it never ends.

In a move aimed to show his leadership and commitment to the city, Mayor Daley announced today that he is cutting his bodyguard detail in half to save money. Also, the 1st district will no longer have to sit outside his gated community. Additionally, he related he is not taking any overseass trips and has asked the people who donate the money for the trips to donate the money needed for the trips to charity.

He also said that all of the moves have been Jody's and he has had no input, he is not corrupt, and loves the police.

GREAT WORK DALEY AND TODD. NO PROBLEM BROS I JUST SHOP IN KENOSHA COUNTY WI. SALES TAX IS 5% AND SERVICE WITH A SMILE. THREE MORE YEARS AND I OUT HERE, GRAYLAKE ,ILL HERE I COME. GO GREEN BAY PACKERS AND THE MILWAUKEE BREWERS, AND JOHN MCCAIN FOR PRESIDENT

We are also being told we are down on movers and need to write more.We're not down.little dick is just telling J-FED to have us generate more revenue so little dicks friends can increase their wealth.WTF J-FED!!!!!

3/14/2008 06:35:00 AM

Well I will ask them to put it in writing and have a signature to go along with this ticket increase, that will stop any boss real quick. I will not do one thing for this city, I havent made an arrest since early 07 and will continue to do as little as possible and still get paid.

Why doesnt the media watch and foollow them around a couple od days.......ALDERMAN ARE PART TIME JOBS IN THIS CITY........most have other jobs and try and call ur alderman sometime and see where it gets you......WHY DONT THEY HAVE TO SWIPE IN AND OUT EVERYWHERE THEY GO?ITS THE BEST PART TIME JOB IN THIS CITY........AND FOR OVER 100K ..............WHERES THE MEDIA ON THIS ONE??????????

STOP GENERATING TICKETS AND REVENUE FOR THIS SHIT CITY...................................................................UNLESS YOU CAN GOTO COURT THAN I SAY SCREW IT...........OH YEAH AND CHECK THE MONEY BOX........WE'RE GONNA NICKEL AND DIME THIS CITY TO DEATH...............................................................

if you are forced to write more movers make sure you tell citizen you would have given them a break but bosses are demanding you write tickets. if you work in a decent area im sure this will get back to mayor.

Maybe the pieces of shit at the pension fund will get our $20 million back that the other piece of shit at the FOP forgave the city for not putting the money in. What makes FOP think they had the right to forgive the city their donations to out pension.

How about eliminating CHA? And WICK and WELFARE? We can save Billions. I see someone proposed limits in years on that. And guess who was up in arms that they might have to actually go get a job. Screw these leaches of society.

Well, you guys are busy and don't have the time I do, but let me tell you what else is driving this.

States and municipalities are being driven out of the debt market by the credit crisis. For the first time in more than 10 years a municipality (Jefferson Co. Alabama) looks like its going into default, and there are other places standing right behind it about to do the same.

Buyers can't trust the insurance companies (Ambak and MBI) to insure the risk, so places like California are not going to provide even cursory insurance on municipal debt going forward.

Muni debt is trading well below face value, as a whole, so its very hard to issue any more new debt.

Before, Daley could just sell some debt, or a tollroad or something. Not much left to sell, and nobody will bid on his debt at the old interest rates.

So yup, much like the American consumer and the Bear Stearns and Countrywide and others, when you can't borrow any more, the end is near.

I expect this is Daley's last term, as he will be blamed for Chicago's portion of what is happening in American with the end of credit.

The first legit SWAT school is going on this week. Its a shame only 10 of the 25 in the school will be allowed to stay. Many current members fail the shooting and physical fittness and are allowed time to make it up. Current members did not have to compete against citywide competition .More things change the more they stay the same. All 25 should stay they earned it.

You can't totally blame Daley for this. The amount of snow removal this winter, and the associated costs with all that, wear & tear on the trucks, OT, salt, potholes, pothole repairs etc. has taken a toll as well. This warm weather can't come along quick enough. But even then, we've had two homicides tonight, and it's not even midnite yet....

Honestly...where is all our money going??? If we're forced to live in this shitty city/county at least could they make it affordable with ALL the money we're giving them!!!! Get rid of Stroger please!!!!!!!!

Like not paying grown babys' daddy's babysitting money so they can watch their own kids and then not work. They want to make babies, then let them find work to support them.

And if that doesn't pay enough cuz you a high school droppout, then get a second job.

Immigrants do it all the time.

SOME OF THE BEST CITIZENS ARE THE NON-CITIZENS, they just want to make life better for their families. The same reasons the settlers first moved here. And I bet you less of them collect social services than do native born low income housing puke.

What about jail birds. Why are we paying them for locking them up?? Yeah it's a small check, but all those small checks come out to large sums of money in shitheads hands and out of peoples pensions.

Or disability checks to people who claim they are slow learners. They do bad in school because they want to hang out, gang bang, smoke weed, then get low grades and now they're slow learners??!! Give me a break.

Or disability because they was bangn' and got shot! Who gives a fuck! Every banger dead equals more tax dollors available for people who really need it.

The City and County need to be more responsible with our money and stop spending it on non-essential programs and services. $59 million on 220 more red light cameras???? I know I know..its all about the revenue it will bring.. revenue generated on the tax payers backs based on fines... well save the $59 million and put it where it needs to be...like closing the hole in the budget or shoring up our pensions! Forget the Olympics, forget the bullshit $220 million pledged to help shitheads who defaulted on mortgages that they never should have gotten in the first place on properties that were valued at 50 times their true worth and so on and so on... when you add it all up and if your "elected" officials would stop spending on bullshit programs, initiatives and what have you, we would have a budget surplus for the next 10 years!

The fiscal irresponsibility practiced by this administration year after year as well as Crook County baffles even the least educated mind. Even a homeless person understands Economics 101, that being the most radical concept of spending more than what you have in your pocket. Betcha Caesar wishes he had said OK to that casino 10 years ago when the economy was rolling and money was dropped faster than Wild Bill's pants in the butler's closet of the oval office. The only thing this city has over old time Rome is better plumbing.

I have an idea for your next crusade. There are several places in this state where you can buy cigarettes for less than half of what is charged in Chicago and Cook County. Peoria, for example, sells cigarettes at $3.50 a pack. That's a $4.00 per pack extra tax on every pack of cigarettes sold in Cook County and the city. In fact, we have the highest cigarette tax in the nation Now I don't know how many packs of cigarettes are sold in either area, but it has got to be tens of thousands every day. That's not counting the huge Blagojevich increase in taxes on casinos. All of this information is easily verifiable by either calling a gas station in a small town downstate, or by searching Google. Where is all of this extra money going? It must be that we are wasting money at a much faster rate than everyone else. Let's get the media on the "why are we still raising taxes when everything else is being taxed to death already" bandwagon.

the cta is broke, the county is broke, the city is broke, recession looming on the horizon, 4 dollar a gallon gas coming soon to you. and the governments answer is to raise taxes to cover the shortfall. instead of being fiscally responsible, just put it on the tax payers. slowly but surely the middle class is starting to crack.

Actually feel sorry for the new Command staff. J-Fed and Daley are in charge and you better follow orders or be replaced. By stock in Tums because these sacrificial lambs will be using them by the case. I gurantee that if revenue falls the shit will roll downhill and fall upon deaf ears. No contract then no tickets.

Hey, is it just me, or did anybody else get a creepy feeling reading the PAX 501 of March 13th? Core Values? Courage is now defined as obeying the Ten Commandments? WTFOverall it read like a script for chanting in the parking lot, prior to getting in the squad and logging in the PDT. Will Core Value or the POLICE "shareholder" lingo replace the CAPS emblem or Chicago flag on the side? Kind of odd stuff. During the tour, I showed the PAX 501 to a couple of citizens who were in the Quiznos over by UIC[appearing to have IQs well over the 3 digit mark]. They read it over before asking me what this was about, if I think he really authored it and handed it back with a comment about "typical FBI smoke and mirrors".Asking a couple of trusted supervisors to explain the somewhat cryptic content, yielded only quick chuckles and changes of subject. Anybody?

3/14/2008 04:47:00 AM

no its just not you every memo that has his picture on it i just wipe my mary mitchell w/it.

Bring back smoking in bars!My Chicago saloon keepers are crying because business is down 20% Fuck being politically correct,just charge more to get a smoking license,so you can smoke in the bars.How many $$$$$ are the casinos losing? It's just as far for me to Indiana as it is to Joliet,guess where I spend my money?

"You can't totally blame Daley for this. The amount of snow removal this winter, and the associated costs with all that, wear & tear on the trucks, OT, salt, potholes, pothole repairs etc. has taken a toll as well."

Are you that detached from reality?

What happened to the Snow Removal Budget surplus from the last 8 years of Mild winters?

It's called piss poor mismanagement on a colossal scale. It's amazing you would even THINK to validate his malfeasance as City manager.

How about getting rid of burkes detail AKA ed burke sneeds snitch! Why does the treasuerer also have a big detail? If you read it in sneed take it to the bank burke planted it just like he did with starks!

You can't totally blame Daley for this. The amount of snow removal this winter, and the associated costs with all that, wear & tear on the trucks, OT, salt, potholes, pothole repairs etc. has taken a toll as well."

The city is supposed to have a contigency fund/account for those matters. An acoount that is kept for exactly those kind of matters. Matters of which might not happen but could, kind of like an extra insurance policy.

Bring back smoking in bars!My Chicago saloon keepers are crying because business is down 20% Fuck being politically correct,just charge more to get a smoking license,so you can smoke in the bars.How many $$$$$ are the casinos losing? It's just as far for me to Indiana as it is to Joliet,guess where I spend my money?

the cta is broke, the county is broke, the city is broke, recession looming on the horizon, 4 dollar a gallon gas coming soon to you. and the governments answer is to raise taxes to cover the shortfall. instead of being fiscally responsible, just put it on the tax payers. slowly but surely the middle class is starting to crack

Meanwhile the city and county bosses keep everyone scared into believing the city and county are broke and taxes go up. The money of which goes into an account for the Olympics. Its all a well rehearsed circus!

why do we need 3 captains and one D/C in every district? Plus 9 lieutenants

How about one Captain and 9 or 10lieutenants

That would save a million a year

3/15/2008 01:40:00 AM"

If you are the Chicago Police you would recall that is just about what we did in the late 1990's. The rank of captain was all but eliminated and watches were run by a trika of lieutenants. It did not work well and did not really save money because you have to pay the Watch Commander Out-of-Grade Captain's pay. The only money saved is the city does not pay the pension difference. The city whittled the captains down to 17, gave them a bonus for voting on a contract that gave the city everything including the right to demote to lieutenant.

The cuts were all directed against the employees--us!! We have to shoulder the burden so his corrupt machine can continue to pursue the Olympics, build more flower pots and keep the campaign contributors wealthy.

The media never asks if Richie if he is going to slow down the beautification projects; or will the politicians give up their perks in premium medical plans and retirement benefits.

why do we need 3 captains and one D/C in every district? Plus 9 lieutenants

How about one Captain and 9 or 10lieutenants

That would save a million a year

3/15/2008 01:40:00 AM

Hmmmmm. You must be relatively new, and a little light in the attic. First of all, the district allotment for Lt's is 7, not 9. Secondly, The Booze-Allen Report of neraly 20 years ago suggested just that. For about 6 years, Lt's ran the watches, and they went almost 10 years without promoting Capt's. That's the same report that said the E/T's should work in Districts, (done for about 10 years, then abandoned), and gang teams should be in districts instead of Areas (done, still in effect). For whatever reason, mainly jealosy amongst the Lt's on the watch and a general lack of control by the Dept over them, they went back to Capt's, this time meritorious selections that were forced to toe the line or get dumped back to Lt. Thirdly, the wastage of Lt's is not to be found in the Patrol Division, but rather in the units, most of which nobody even knows exist. I recommend that you bid back to Patrol so that you can have a more informed opinion.

If the department wants to save $$, stop the "non-essential" sworn personnel (district secretaries, citation officers, activity officer, etc) from working on holidays. These are perks that the D/C's give their inside people. Require them to be carried "day-off holiday".

I know there are some coppers that are accountants so I'm throwing this out here; My daughter has just informed me that immigrant owned business's do not pay taxes for the first five years. Please tell me she's wrong.

Anonymous said... If the department wants to save $$, stop the "non-essential" sworn personnel (district secretaries, citation officers, activity officer, etc) from working on holidays. These are perks that the D/C's give their inside people. Require them to be carried "day-off holiday".

3/15/2008 08:04:00 PM

Why are these officers inside? They are and should be civilian posiions. Why pay $65,000 a year for a PO to sort citations when a retired PO or any civilian can do the job. How many PO's are hidden inside with BS clerical jobs? The waste is appaling.

I go on all kinds of different blogs and talk about how the CPD aren't going to police the city if the Olympics come to Chicago. What a dangerous place Chicago has become and how much more dangerous it will be during the Olympics. All because the mayor is hiding their money, won't give them a contract or a raise, fudges the results of their promotional exams so only political freinds are promoted, and generally causes despair and depression amongst the rank and file.

"I go on all kinds of different blogs and talk about how the CPD aren't going to police the city if the Olympics come to Chicago.

What a dangerous place Chicago has become and how much more dangerous it will be during the Olympics.

All because the mayor is hiding their money, won't give them a contract or a raise, fudges the results of their promotional exams so only political friends are promoted, and generally causes despair and depression amongst the rank and file.